Dam



March 21, 1933. E. H. BURROUGHS DAM Filed April 30, 1950 "fly FOR 8%, W

ATTORNE 5.

Patented Mar. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATE r OFFICE EDGAR H.1BU'RBOUGHS, or SCARSDALE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'ro AMsURsEN .oonsrauc- IION COMPANY, INC., OF new YORK, 11. Y., A oonronerro v on NEW YORK DAM This invention relates to a novel and improved form of dam and the novel features will be best understood from the following description and the annexed drawing, in

which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through one form of a dam constructed according to this invention, this section being taken on a plane extending up and down stream.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig.1. Referring now to the drawing, in which I have shown a selected embodiment of the invention, the up-stream water-bearing deck is indicated as a plurality of arches or domes 1 7 and 8. The term deck as herein used is intended to cover not only the specific form of water-bearing member illustrated herein but also any other structure adapted to form a water-bearing surface in contact with the water above the dam. For example, the deck may take the form of the well-known flat slab construction. 7

In order to distribute the stresses from the deck through the superstructure to the 2 foundation in a more efficient manner than hitherto, I support the deck upon walls extending lengthwise of the dam, the walls here being shown as two in number and indicated at 9 and 10, the wall 10 being shown as forming a continuous down-stream face for the dam. r

Preferably these walls 9 and 10 are arranged approximately normal to the deck, although it is within the scope of this invention to have them vertical, or at some other angle to the deck than the one indicated. Preferably the tops of the walls are flared as indicated at 11 and 12, respectively, and are also flared at their bottom portions as indicated at 13 and 14, respectively. When the deck is formed in spherical domes asindicated, the fiaredportions 11 and 12 are joined to the domes'by substantiallycontinuous curves as indicated, and the walls 9 and 10 are disposed in position to support the domes at their springing lines.

Referring now .to Fig. 2, it will be seen that I have shown a plurality of walls 15 extending up and down stream and disposed 5o transversely of the walls 9 and 10 and at the 1930. Serial No. 448,504.

springing lines of the domes 7 and 8. These walls 15 are integrally joined to the .deckby flaredportions 16 and to the Walls 9 by similar flared portions 17.

By the above construction a number of advantages are obtained. Among these may be mentioned thedrawing down stream of the center of gravity of any'horizo-ntal 'sec-' tion thereby moving theacenter of gravity nearer to the point of application of the resultant of loads acting on that section, and thereby giving a more uniform distribution of stresses throughout the section. The arrangement of flared walls further makes a construction in which the span of the water-bearing deck is decreased between supports, thereby making possible the greater spacing of supports for the same thickness of deck, with the resultant economy in material. Another advantage resides in the cellular arrangement which results from thisv constructiomthis cellular construction adding greater strength to the dam as a Whole.

If desired, the down-stream wall 10 may be provided with joints, one of which is shown at 18, or under certain conditions it may be interrupted between walls 15 to form" 1. A dam with an upand down-stream section comprising an arch having abutments in foundation material with theupand stream abutment terminating substantially normal to the surface of said material, a

second arch having one abutment on said first-named arch adjacent the crown thereof, with said arches presenting up-stream surfaces forming a water-bearmg deck.

2 A dam with an upand down-stream section comprising an arch having abutments in foundation material with the upstream abutment terminating substantially normal. to the surface of saidmaterial, a I

streigm surfaces forming a water-bearing dec 3. A dam with an upand down-stream section comprising an arch having abutments in foundation material with the upstream abutment terminating substantially normal to the surface of said material, and asecond arch having one abutment on said first-named arch adjacent the crown thereof,

with said arches presenting lip-stream surfaces forming a water-bearing deck and walls extending upand down-stream be-r neath said deck and spaced apart lengthwise of the dam.

4. A dam with an upand down-stream section comprising an arch having abutments in foundation material with the upstream abutment terminating substantially normal to the surface of said material, and a second arch having one abutment on said first-named arch adjacent the crown thereof, with said arches'presenting up-stream surfaces forming a water-bearing deck and walls extending upand down-stream beneath said deck and spaced apart lengthwise of the dam, said deck being arched between said walls. EDGAR H. BURROUGHS. 

